Faculty Development for Inclusive Curriculum: Principles and Processes.

LaBare, Martha J.

Bloomfield College (New Jersey) has encouraged faculty development in inclusive curricula through a faculty development program that guaranteed academic freedom, was begun with faculty members' own reflective practice, and was interdisciplinary and community-wide. This program was a central facet of a larger, institution-wide diversity effort. Each semester for five consecutive semesters a new group of about eight faculty volunteers shared their year-long program. Each group worked in a semester-long interdisciplinary seminar and concurrently began a year of individual study in their own disciplines. Seminars and individual study were guided by a preceptor-in-residence. Faculty also focused on curriculum revision in a week-long summer workshop. Follow-up peer evaluation offered confidential feedback. Faculty found inclusive material and methods intellectual, sound, and renewing. Over half the full-time faculty, plus 20 adjunct faculty and administrators who teach restudied their disciplines for the content and perspectives of race, ethnicity, class, and gender and revised their courses. Revisions affected all levels, disciplines, and many student services. In an institutional self-study students reported being very aware of the changes. Current efforts are aimed at institutionalizing and continuing the work begun in the faculty development project. (JB)